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There are currently 31 member reviews
for The Gifts
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Jan B. (Victor, ID)
The Gifts by Liz Hyder
What a story! This is about an amazing set of women in the Victorian age, each trying to become who they really are in terms of their gifts and talents, in a world that wants to narrowly confine the roles of women and how they may be.
Hyder's use of "angels" , these "gifts from God", as a tool to exaggerate the unbelievable rules of "ownership" of women at that time is brilliant. Her protagonists are diverse, as are the antagonists, and it is amazing that most have no knowledge of the others.
Once you get used to the short chapters that move quickly from person to person, the story flies along. It was fun to read and also thoughtful. I loved it, and look forward to what she will write in the future.
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S. Dunn
An Uneven Read
This book was just not my cup of tea. The narrators changing mid-paragraph didn't seem clever to me ... more like the author was going for a stream-of-consciousness type of thing but it seemed to me rather amateurish.
Given the design of the cover and the summary description I guess I was expecting that the names of the characters would be entirely original, or more ethereal or something. So I felt oddly disappointed that the author chose entirely ordinary names: Mary, Edward, Annie, Richard etc.
It also seemed like there was so much effort put into establishing the setting, background, etc but not so much regarding the themes which were so disappointingly prosaic. All men are horrible one-note brutes and yet despite this all of the women were blessed and would succeed no matter what. It seemed as though the men had to fail in order for the women to triumph which is much too simplistic even for the Victorian era.
The editing needed to be tightened up. Some paragraphs seemed to go on and on and on without much happening at all. Overly wordy in some areas and insufficiently descriptive in others. It read as though it was a very rough first draft that hadn't yet been edited.
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Jennie W. (Denver, CO)
The Gifts
I was excited to read this book. The description sounded fascinating. It touches on science, religion, nature. I looked forward to diving right in. The writing is beautiful and descriptive with five different perspectives. Once I started reading, I just couldn't connect with the story. I couldn't always keep track of which character each chapter was about and the plot just didn't seem to come together as quickly as I would have liked.
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Sonya M. (Takoma Park, MD)
Angels in London, The Gifts
While the book is well written and tells the intriguing story of four women in Victorian London, it takes a dark turn mid-way. And the brutality of men, one in particular, became difficult for me. Vivid stories of man's brutality towards women are hard to read. However, that's a personal bias and should not reflect on this fascinating story. Set in Victorian London, the setting and characters are beautifully written and unique. It tells the well-known history of women of that era having no personal or financial independence. Women are sprouting angel wings—one found dead in the Thames, two others emerging as the story continues. And a doctor's ego overpowering any morality as he rushes to study the angels. The four women represent different classes of that era, the high standing of a doctor's wife, an impoverished orphan who wants to be a writer raised by gay men, a woman who loses her home to her brother after her father's death, and an immigrant seeking a new life in London. The book provides fascinating insight into an era with few social supports for the poor, workhouses, child labor, a strict social structure. It really is a fascinating story, very unique in structure and style. The writing tends towards more of a YA style, short chapters.
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Chris H. (Wauwatosa, WI)
The Gifts
Although I found the book page-turning and always wanted to know what was next, I thought it lacked a central, attached story. Three women grew wings during different time periods which I was interested in and also confused by. I wanted a more in depth story of perhaps one or two perspectives instead of five! This book "explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society, and the dark danger of ambition." Too much!! Left me wanting more with less.
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Victoria B. (Little River, SC)
Too Much of a Stew For Me
In The Gifts, Liz Hyder has swirled together themes of feminism, religion, and ambition in this historical, magical realism novel. Told in the voices of multiple characters, their stories interweave into a knotted tale. A woman with wings is found dead in the Thames in 1840, another woman has sprouted wings and is being held prisoner by a surgeon, and yet a third is sprouting wings at the start of the book. Presumably metaphors for the growth of feminism during the same time period, the book doesn't quite deliver the bewitching, addictive promise of the blurbs.
Due to the short chapters and multiple voices, the book needs close focus by the reader. It seems to this reader that the author has tried to incorporate too many genres into what could have been an interesting read. Instead it was a messy attempt albeit with beautiful writing.
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Sandy F. (Davis, CA)
The Gifts
Through 2/3rds of this book, I struggled to keep the 4 main characters straight and to care about them. If I had not requested this book to review, I would not have finished it. The last third of the book was better written and more enjoyable to read. 'The Gifts' never captured my imagination and Parts of it were repetitious and boring.
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